GOLDEN RICE, the genetically modified crop of Oryza sativa. Major role in the protection from vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition.

1. GOLDEN RICE
NEHA MISHRA
ROLL.NO. 130180110011
BIOCHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
III YEAR
B.T.K.I.T. DWARAHAAT

2. INTRODUCTION
• Golden rice is a variety of Oryza sativa rice
produced from genetic engineering
• The creation of plants that make or accumulate
micronutrients
• Main purpose is to provide pro-vitamin A to
third world, developing, countries where
malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency are
common
• Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) can negatively affect
growth and development, cause blindness,
interfere with the growth of epithelial cells, and
suppress the immune system
• Vitamin A can be synthesized from the β-
carotene found in green leafy vegetables and
yellow fruits or vegetables, and it can be
obtained from certain animal products (liver,
egg yolk, etc. ).

3. Effects of malnutrition;
• Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency (VAD)
include; night blindness, increased
susceptibility to infection and cancer, anemia
(lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin),
deterioration of the eye tissue, and
cardiovascular disease
• Nearly 9 million children die from
malnutrition each year. A large proportion of
those children die from common illnesses
that could have been avoided through
adequate nutrition
• The reduced immune competence increases
the morbidity and mortality rates of children

4. In a major feat of genetic engineering,
scientists inserted a complete
functioning β-carotene biosynthetic
pathway into the rice plant. They did
this by inserting genes from daffodil to
produce functioning versions of the first
and last enzymes of the pathway. In
addition, a single bacterial gene that
provides the same function as the
second and third enzymes of the
pathway, was also introduced. With a
functioning pathway, the transgenic rice
is able to produce the vitamin A
precursor β-carotene. It is this product
that gives "Golden Rice" its
characteristic yellow color.
The solution is “GOLDEN RICE”

5. The Golden Rice story
One of the major plant biotechnology product is more recent and was developed to
address the vitamin A deficiency problems prevalent throughout the world. This vitamin
deficiency is very critical because it can cause blindness and affects the severity of many
diseases including diarrhea and measles. This is a severe problem that affects more than
100 million children worldwide. A simple solution would be to distribute vitamins to the
affected children. Unfortunately, many countries where the deficiency is chronic do not
have the necessary infrastructure to deliver the vitamin tablets to the most needed.
The solution that is currently being promoted is to improve the vitamin content in
widely-consumed, and readily available to the consumer. Transgenic rice plants were
developed that contain elevated levels of the precursor to vitamin A. This GMO is called
“Golden Rice” because of its color: it is yellow rather than white. It is yellow because β-
carotene, a yellow precursor to vitamin A is abundant in the seed.

6. Who started The Golden Rice Project?
• Started in 1982 by Ingo Potrykus-Professor emeritus of the Institute for
Plant Sciences
• Peter Beyer-Professor of Centre for Applied Biosciences, Uni. Of
Freiburg, Germany
• Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology, and Syngenta, a crop protection company.
• Golden Rice Humanitarian Board-responsible for the global development,
introduction and free distribution of Golden Rice to target countries.

7. How dose it works?
• The addition of 2 genes in the rice
genome will complete the
biosynthetic pathway
– 1. Phytoene synthase (psy) –
derived from daffodils
– 2. Lycopene cyclase (crt1) –
from soil bacteria Erwinia
uredovora
• Produces enzymes and catalysts for
the biosynthesis of carotenoids (β-
carotene) in the endosperm

8. • Rice is a staple food in many developing regions of the
world. Unfortunately, it contains no β-carotene in its
milled grain, and is therefore not a source of vitamin A.
Rice can be genetically engineered to boost its
nutritional content. It is possible to transfer the genes
for β-carotene from a plant that produces it into rice
DNA.
• Rice provides as much as 80 percent or more of the daily
caloric intake of 3 billion people, which is half the
world’s population
• Other plants, such as sweet potatoes have varieties that
are either rich (orange-fleshed) or poor (white fleshed)
in pro-vitamin A
• Carrots were originally white or purple in the 1600’s. A
Dutch horticulturist mutated the carrot to produce
carotenes to symbolize the color of the Dutch Royal
House of Orange
WHY RICE?

9. Modification of plant nutrition content : increasing the vitamin a
content in plants
• 124 million children worldwide are
deficient in vitamin A, which leads to
death and blindness.
• Mammals make vitamin A from B-
carotene a common carotenoid pigment
normally found in plant photosynthetic
membranes
• Here, the idea was to engineer the B-
carotene pathway into rice
• The transgenic rice is yellow on golden
in colour and is called “golden rice”.

10. β - carotene pathway problem in plants
IPP
Geranylgeranyl diphoshate
phytoene synthase
Phytoene
Phytoene desaturase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Lycopene
Lycopenz-beta-cyclase
B- carotene
Vitamin A precursor
Normal
Vitamin A
“Deficient”
Rice
Problem:
Rice lacks
these enzymes

11. The solution is GOLDEN RICE
-Carotene Pathway Genes Added
IPP
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate
Phytoene
Lycopene
 -carotene
(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase
Phytoene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Daffodil gene
Single bacterial gene;
performs both functions
Daffodil gene
Vitamin A
Pathway
is complete
and functional
Golden
Rice

12. Controversy Against “Golden Rice”
• Health
– May cause allergies or fail to perform desired effect
– Supply does not provide a substantial quantity as the
recommended daily intake
• Environment
– Loss of Biodiversity. May become a gregarious weed
and endanger the existence of natural rice plants
– Genetic contamination of natural, global staple
foods
• Culture
– Some people prefer to cultivate and eat only white
rice based on traditional values and spiritual beliefs